| Shandar | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Unknown | Gender | Male |
|
Shandar was a legendary figure from the folklore of the Iliac Bay, whose name is tied to one of the Bretonic names for the moon Secunda—also known as Shandar's Sorrow.[1]
HistoryEdit
A tale from the Iliac Bay tells of two star-crossed lovers, a boy named Shandar and a girl Mara, who shared her name with the godess of love, Mara. Long ago, in a distant village, they grew up playing and exploring together, despite being from families on opposite sides of a bitter conflict. Shandar's father, Maldor, had been captured and forced into servitude after a war between their villages over precious land. Forbidden from being together due to their families' hatred, Shandar and Mara grew close over the years and eventually fell in love. Unable to marry because of the ongoing war, they decided to run away and start a new life together, far from their troubled homeland.[1]
In an attempt to escape together, they were caught by the guards. Shandar was imprisoned, and Mara was placed under house arrest. To prevent their union, Mara's father arranged her marriage to another, while Shandar was sentenced to execution for daring to love her. Upon learning of this, Mara fled into the wild during a time when the moons were absent from the sky. She was captured by an Orc while she slept, who planned to devour her.[1]
Though the village knew Mara had fled, they were too afraid to face the Orc. Desperate, Shandar begged for the chance to rescue her. The village reluctantly agreed, but soon regretted sending a mere boy to confront a monster. When they finally reached the clearing where Mara had been taken, they found the Orc dead and Mara weeping over the severed head of Shandar. With tears streaming down, Mara prayed to her goddess, Mara, for help. The goddess could not resurrect Shandar, as she held no dominion over death, but she wished to preserve their love.[1]
According to this tale, in her mercy, the goddess Mara reached down from the heavens, lifting Shandar and Mara into the night sky. They became the moons—Masser, known as Mara’s Tear, and Secunda, called Shandar’s Sorrow—forever lighting the night to protect against the evils that dwell in the dark.[1]
The Druids of Galen also referred to the moons as Shandar's Sorrow and Mara's Tear. In ancient times, these moons were considered sacred witnesses to sanctify their rituals, playing an important role in their spiritual and cultural practices. They referred to one of the moons as Shandar's Sorrow after their arrival in Galen,[2][3] following their exodus from the mainland High Rock in 1E 330.[4]
NotesEdit
- In the oldest known demo for Daggerfall, Shandar was also used to refer to a deity of war, in addition to being the name of a mortal boy from the legend. Additionally shrines to Ebonarm exist and will bless the player character's weaponry skills, but display a message that "Shandar has blessed your best weaponry skill." By the second demo (released a month later), these have been fully converted to shrines of Stendarr.[UOL 1]
- Shandar's Sorrow is also occasionally referred to as Stendarr's Sorrow.[5][UOL 2]
- In an interview, Ted Peterson was asked about Shandar and other deities present in Daggerfall—such as Raen, Notorgo, Vigryl, Q'Olwen and Ephen—he explained that they named these gods after the beta testers as a way to honor them, since they couldn’t afford to pay them. Although some of these gods were initially part of the game, various constraints led to their removal. He added that he’d love to see them used again in the future.[UOL 3]
See AlsoEdit
BooksEdit
- Mara's Tear by Zhen — An origin myth for the two moons, Mara's Tear and Shandar's Sorrow
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c d e f Mara's Tear — Zhen
- ^ Druid King Kasorayn's dialogue in ESO: Firesong
- ^ Elder Verline's dialogue in ESO: Firesong
- ^ Systres History: Volume 1 — Trilam Heladren, Associate Dean of Eltheric History, University of Gwylim
- ^ Varieties of Faith... — Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.